Men’s golf team finishes fall season strong at LSU

The men’s golf team, participating in the David Tom’s Intercollegiate hosted by Louisiana State University, played two skillful rounds on Monday and ended the day tied for fifth place overall. 

Monday morning, the Waves shot a 1-over 285 and continued on to shoot a 3-under 281 in the afternoon.  This 3-under scored was the best round of the season for the men’s team. 

Junior Andrew Putnam had a strong first round of the tournament on Monday standing in a tie for 12th place.  He had a total score of 2-under 140 and five birdies in both his morning and second round. 

Senior Shane Mason, who recently notched his career-best round, was tied for 18th place at the end of Monday’s competition.  He had a 3-over 74 in his first round and came back with a 4-under 67 to notch a 1-under 141 overall.  Along with Putnam he had five birdies in each round, along with one bogey in the second. 

Senior Carl Smith performed very impressively with a 1-under 70 in the first round and then a 1-over 72 with one birdie and two bogeys in the second.  His even-par 142 put him in a tie for 22nd place

Junior Andrew Widmar redshirted last season and is finally back in the lineup a year and a half later.  He ended Monday tied for 32nd place.

The men’s team continued play  Tuesday and closed out their fall season with a seventh-place finish.

 They finished only 10 strokes behind the champions and host team, LSU, with a final-round 4-over 288 at the par-71.

Three of the Waves finished individually in the top 25, including Putnam, who tied for 17th; Mason, who tied for 19th; and Smith, who tied for 24th place. 

However, according to head coach John Gieberger, the team could have done a lot better. 

"I don't think anyone was too happy today; we were just lacking a really good round," Geiberger said. "We were a little sloppy— I'd guess you'd call them unforced errors, which we shouldn't be making. We don't play on Bermuda grass much and the conditions were super soft, but that's why you do this, to get the experience so you're ready to play in all types of conditions."

The Waves will have a while before they experience any new conditions.

They begin their spring season at the Arizona Invitational Feb. 1 through 2, 2010.